Category: Online Education

The word “method” implies a scientific approach, which, in relation to the e-learning industry, has not always been fair so far. The matter is not so much in the youth of the sphere, but in its constant evolution and the emergence of new forms. Therefore, for the description of the approaches in e-learning, it is better to use the usual words as “type”, “variety”, or the word from the sphere of art – “genre”.

Genres, which are just methods of e-learning, help to describe the variety of e-learning materials using understandable words.

Overview of e-learning methods – what genre to choose?

The methods divide e-learning into groups by a primary way of supplying/perception of the information material. Each type may also include other elements, just like in movies: action films contain elements of comedy, thriller and horror. We distinguish the following types of e-learning:

1) Textual (“to read”). They are historically the first and up to the present day the most common. They are books, which differ from their paper relatives by comfort of navigation, interactivity and ability to be updated without republishing. They can be:

• Completely textual – the text is split into paragraphs and has hypertext navigation. It is better never to use such type;

• Illustrated – also known as “text + image”. Depending on how the “pictures” are processed they can be “a little bit better than textual” (which is still poor) up to textual courses with diagrams, illustrations, comics and interactive inserts, the most common today;

• Wrapper for the video – if each slide in a textual course contains a video with test tasks after it, it is considered the wrapper, not a textual course, and should be evaluated according to video standards.

2) Video (“to watch”). The courses in simple forms are easy to make (just to videotape a presentation given by an expert), so the method is popular in e-learning. Complex, more elaborated forms prevail in courses on personnel management, as well as in advertising, image-building and ideologically directed projects. They include, as follows:

· Video lectures – despite the simplicity of the format, they contain illustrations and diagrams to support the speech of the lecturer;

· Video of augmented reality which is similar to a lecture, but more saturated and “polished”. The presenter, against a green screen, works for a viewer (not the audience), and the script includes the interaction of the real world and computer graphics;

· Educational video contains training scenes involving actors. The script resembles a short film, there arise some issues related to the production, such as facilities for filming, props, makeup, transportation, crew catering. As a rule, these large-scale projects refer to courses on interpersonal disciplines (negotiations, mentoring, work with clients, etc.).

3) Games and simulations (“to do”). This genre is also very diverse. However, one thing in the method is common – that is “placing into circumstances” (realistic or fictional) and stating the problem, that must be solved according to the situational rules. This genre includes the following:

• Software operation simulator, which is the simplest simulator that shows how to operate the program. They are very popular for training the personnel in operation of corporate databases or specific company software;

• Process modeling is complex business models, packaged in online form. They can have game graphics or “technical” form of numbers and charts. Their task is to check the understanding of some process using a definite example with specified parameters;

• Involving games are the so-called relatives of entertaining games. Involving games use the elements of competition to arouse the students’ active interest to understand the game’s plot or mechanics and through this interest to reinforce the required knowledge. Such games are common in “ideological” and courses on processes.

Thus, there are numerous e-learning methods to solve any problems. In case the learning task can be solved by the combination of several methods, you can safely use all the genres, because such combination lacks the technical constraints.

There is also the fourth possible genre, which is very rarely used in corporate training:

4) Audio courses (“to listen”). Audio courses are very specific. Technically, it is a dictated educational text of good quality and in an easy to listen form. Such materials can be useful, but initially they are intended for using outside the workplace (on the way somewhere or at home). Audio courses stand separately from the traditional system of corporate training via LMS’s, as there is a risk of materials leakage, due to which companies do not demand them.

The advantages and disadvantages of different methods of e-learning

There are no fundamental flaws in the genres, as the success of any learning material depends on the quality of realization and the audiences. Different materials may be more or less suitable for one or another genre, for example, a video course on working with clients will be better than any instructional text. At the same time, the business process is better shown in the diagrams than when described with words. So when choosing a method, better consider the possible specificity.

Choosing a wrong format is an unpleasant, but not a critical situation: well-prepared material in any format will be useful to listeners and will fulfil the objectives of learning. More harmful is the reverse situation when boring, low-quality training course in any format does not teach the audience but gives them a bad impression about the company training system.

If you are a professional in human resources, counseling, social work, market research, advertising, sales or any job fields which need a lot of interaction with people and you need to enhance your psychology background in order to do a better job or enhance your job professionalism, a degree in psychology definitely can help you to achieve your goal.

But, you may not want to on hold your current job in order to go back to college or university to earn your psychology degree. Then, you need to look for online psychology degree. The advantages of acquiring an online psychology degree is that you can acquire a degree in psychology without attending a regular class, you need not leave your job to enhance your knowledge in the field of psychology. You can even specialize in any field in psychology.

Advantages of Having a Degree in Psychology

Success in many jobs depends largely upon you, the worker, being successful in understanding, relating to, and working with, people. Thus, a psychology degree will enable you to start out with an above-average interest in people. After all, the understanding of human behavior has been one of the major goals of psychology for a long time. As a psychology degree holder you know something about people and you know how to interact with them. These are characteristics that employers value.

Online Psychology Degree Programs

As the online degree programs increase in popularity, there are many prestigious colleges and universities offer online psychology programs taught by the same faculty who teach in their classrooms. And psychology degree offers through online range from Bachelor to MBAs and Ph.Ds. Like the transitional degree, earning a degree online also has pre-requirement and it varies from one online university to another. For example, you can acquire a master’s degree or doctorate online in psychology if you have a high school diploma or GED with age of 22 years or above and have worked in the field as a full time employee. In general, good in written communication skills are needed as online degree program need to do a lot of reading and writing.

Earn Your Psychology Degree Online

Since the introduction of online degree programs, the working or busy people can earn their degree online without the need to stop the current job or work. Various online degrees in psychology will help you to enhance your socialization into the field of psychology through foundational courses and interaction with faculty who are expert professionals in their field. There are many majors in online psychology which you can choose from, you can specialize in fields like clinical psychology, counseling psychology, general psychology, health psychology, organizational psychology or school psychology.

Summary

The online degree in psychology offers the flexibility to deepen your knowledge in psychology without the need to sacrifice you current work or life style.

There has always been a lot of debate as to whether an online college education is as good as a traditional college education. The answer to this is quite simple; there are good institutions that offer an online college education and there are bad establishments that offer an online college education. So, you need to do your research in the same way when you are looking for the best place to pursue your online college education with as you would an offline course.

Of course you are not going to particularly bother finding out about the location of the colleges that offer an online college education because it really doesnt matter. However, a lot of the other points that you would consider before attending a college should also be taken into consideration before you enrol with an organization offering an online college education.

The growth in the numbers of people pursuing an online college education has led to increased competition amongst institutions to attract students. The best way to assess the credibility of a site advertising the best online college education is to ask about the accreditation of its courses. Accreditation means that a governing body for a particular field has endorsed the course and this is extremely important in helping you to decide who to trust with your online college education. If a course is not accredited then you need to find out why.

There may be a number of courses that have not yet received accreditation from an appropriate association or governing body but still offer a good online college education. For example, the establishment may have applied for accreditation but not yet been assessed, in which case you can actually check with the particular body that they are in the process of assessing the application for accreditation. Another reason may be that there is no appropriate body that the course can be accredited to. This is less likely but is, nevertheless, a valid reason and does not indicate that the course offered is not going to be worth taking to advance your online college education.

If, however, you find that the online college education institution has been refused accreditation they are likely to try to tell you that accreditation is not important. This is quite simply untrue. An online college education from a non-accredited institution is not going to be viewed as highly as one from an establishment that is accredited. Choose where you gain your online college education from with care to ensure that you are not wasting your time and money by having an almost worthless qualification.

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and communication tools become available to more people, the world is quickly transforming into a global village.We are all connected in one way or another – through business, travel and the Internet. Thats why today it is more important than ever to learn a second language. Having the ability to communicate in a second language will allow you to conduct business more efficiently, have more fun while traveling, and make it easy to forge friendships the world over, even if its just through the Internet.

So whats the easiest and most effective way to learn a second language? If you are strapped for time and require flexibility when it comes to learning a new language, taking classes through an online educational institution is your best bet. Luckily, online learning has made major strides recently, so there are a multitude of schools, courses, teachers and resources from which to choose. And because technology has improved, online education is now just as valuable an experience as learning through traditional means.

For example, if you have a high speed Internet connection, you can easily listen to audio files and watch videos that will help you hear the language you are trying to learn without having to purchase audiotapes. If you work one- on-one with an online tutor or attend an online class, often the teacher will use a microphone to speak to his/her online pupils.

Other tools also make the learning process very simple. Programs such as online whiteboards allow the teacher to write out sentences or grammar rules in real time, as if you are sitting in a classroom taking notes as the teacher scribbles on the chalkboard. Of course, scheduled chat sessions also provide an excellent way for online tutors to conduct lessons, discuss items of interest with students, and even practice writing in the new language.

When you learn a second language online, everything you need to become adept at speaking, writing, and reading the new language is right at your fingertips. Lessons, schedules, and assignments are usually posted on the course website for you to peruse at your convenience, and you can even take tests online. Assignments are easily submitted either through a virtual drop box or via email. Many schools also have online forums where fellow students can discuss homework assignments, lessons and anything else associated with the language course. Being able to contact other students, as well as the teacher, through email and by posting on forums, makes it very easy to solve problems before they become overwhelming.

Overall, the benefits of learning a second language online are substantial. Many reputable educational establishments offer online language courses that are affordable without compromising the quality of the learning experience. Whether you are a busy professional, a stay-at-home mom, a working student, a mature learner or just looking to brush up on your language skills before departing for that long-awaited trip around the world, learning a second language online is an experience you should not pass up.

Associate degrees are commonly referred to as undergraduate degrees. Duration of studies is counted as units or semester credit hours. Each semester has 15 credit hours hence an Associate degree is earned once a student reaches the minimum 4 semesters, equivalent to 60 units or semester credit hours. Associate degrees are generally 2-year degrees, like those conferred at community colleges. Now, associate degrees are available online, allowing you to study whenever or wherever you want.

An associate degree is defined as, An academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges and some bachelors degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.

The program consists of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. Online associate degrees are the same as on-campus or in-classroom associate degrees, but the degree can be taken entirely through the Internet or by distance education.

An online associate degree in business, liberal arts, and other disciplines, is widely accepted for transfer into bachelor’s degree programs throughout the country.

Types of Associate Degree Programs:
A.A. – “Associate of Arts” degree
This degree is designed to transfer to a four-year college or university.

A.A.S. – “Associate of Applied Science” degree
Designed to prepare graduates for career entry or job advancement after 2 years of college study. AAS degrees may transfer in whole or in part to 4 year colleges. A.A.S degrees may also be known by occupational specific titles such as Associate in Engineering Technology, Associate in Business, etc.

A.S. – “Associate of Science” degree
Designed to transfer to a 4 year college or university.

Occupational Degree

Also referred to as “applied” degree programs, an occupational degree program at a two-year college is designed to prepare students to enter the workforce immediately following graduation. The primary function is career preparation, however some courses and/or programs may transfer to 4 year colleges.

Taking a degree in-classroom, online or by distance learning makes no difference except for the cost, time and place. Other than these aspects, education and programs are common to all of them, although there is less emphasis on an industry-specific competency. An Associate degree is more focused on learning the basic academic discipline, than in specialization.

All associated degrees are available through the Internet, but accelerated online programs make it easier to earn a certificate in less time. Earning an Associate degree also enables students to enter interesting professions, with minimal additional training in the field of electronics, health care and other faster growing occupations.

When you earn Associate degree online, you will not be singled out because yours was distance learning. A certificate for an Associates degree looks the same, regardless of whether it was earned online or on a campus. When you learn online, you will find that you can schedule work, family obligations and fun as well as learning into your busy life. Lectures can be downloaded and listened to at any time. Documents can also be read on the website, and you can turn in your homework assignments by e-mail or fax. Those who want to earn associate degree online but who are not sure how to get started should browse through various programs and locate one that is right. This requires a lot of research, but ultimately it pays off in the form of greater confidence, qualifications, and pay.